Third Coast is a term to describe the highly urbanized stretch of U.S. cities and large towns along the Great Lakes shoreline. This area is generally considered to be bordered by Southeast Wisconsin on the West and Upstate New York on the East.

It is referred to as the Third Coast because politically and socially, it aligns more with coastal states than the rest of so-called "Middle America." It also shares a lot of physical similarities (such as beaches) which are commonly thought to only exist on the coasts.

Recently, residents of Chicago have tried to claim their city alone is synonymous with Third Coast. However, it actually refers to the entire Great Lakes region as there are a number of entities in the business and entertainment world outside of Chicago (especially in Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio) that identify themselves as "Third Coast."

(Please note that similar to how Philadelphia is considered East Coast even though it's not actually on the ocean, a city does not actually have to be on the Great Lakes to be considered part of the Third Coast.)

"Third coast" likely refers to the idea that the US population tends to be higher on the east and west costs, and that Chicago, lying on the shores of Lake Michigan, is the third largest city in the U.S.

The Third Coast Press is Chicago's Progressive News Source.

Nestled in the heart of Chicago's Gold Coast at the corner of Dearborn & Goethe is the Third Coast Cafe.

The Third Coast International Audio Festival was created by Chicago Public Radio.

Reason to boast on the 'Third Coast' by Michael Burnham - 3.29.06: The Windy City is home to the nation’s first skyscraper to achieve a Gold Core & Shell rating from the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) program.